The new American President was elected in the year 2012. It was now 2014 and he has kept his promise that he would hold full scale press conferences at least twice a year.
The President was a delightful man. White, tall, handsome, smart as a whip, educated, athletic. He had a stunningly beautiful wife and three attractive daughters.
The White House press room was filled to standing room only. At the exact time as announced the President strode to the podium and said, “Hello, thank you all for being here. I have a few announcements before we open up for questions.”
Experienced White House press corps members had gotten to know this President. They didn’t expect much to come out of this press conference. It would probably be like the others – a romp through a few mundane subjects and then some artful dodging of a handful of powder puff questions, a sharp avoidance of answers to some potent questions then a charming smile, a warm wave, a thank you, and the end.
Wearing a serious countenance, the President spoke about the famine in Africa, discussed the forthcoming visit of the President of France. He offered federal assistance to the citizens of hurricane stricken Mississippi and congratulated his vice president on his recent trip to the Maldives to renew friendships between the two nations.
Then the President said, “Okay, I can take a few questions in the time remaining.”
“Mr. President, what is your plan to reduce the national debt? There is talk about instituting a national sales tax. Do you plan on backing this plan?”
The President gave a full second of deep contemplation and replied, “Our national debt is our largest in history. My administration is going to do everything possible to lower our debt. Next question.”
Mr. President, We’ve been at war in Afghanistan now for nearly two decades. What do you plan on doing with that situation? Do you have any plans to either win or end the war?”
“I, like you, am vitally concerned with the situation in Afghanistan. My administration and I are currently working on plans that will offer a solution to the Afghanistan problem.”
With that feeble riposte the President offered a dazzling smile to the gathered news people and said, “That’s all the time we have. Thank you for attending and God bless America.”
An elderly man from CBS in the front row responded with the decades old, “Thank you Mr. President.” Then the room emptied.
In the hallway, outside the press room, the attractive White House correspondent from CNN walked alongside the NBC network 6 p.m. news anchor.
She looked up at the tall, silver haired newsman and said, “I’ve never seen anything like it. This President hasn’t said anything of import since he was inaugurated. He hasn’t done a single thing.”
“I know, I know. I’ve watched him since January of 2013 and I’m amazed. He has not said anything or done anything of significance. He has left the Health Care system the way was formed in 2010. He hasn’t done a thing about the war in Afghanistan. The deficit continues to grow. It’s now over nineteen trillion dollars, that means that each taxpayer owes $130,000.00 and the President hasn’t said a word about it since he took office.”
“Most of the conservative radio talk shows have gone off the air because they have nothing to talk about. They can’t find anything to criticize anymore. All there is, is nothing. I’ll bet they’re wishing that President Obama was back in office so they could have something to bitch about. Looking back it seems that President Obama was coming up with some kind of action every day. He changed a lot of things when he was in office. We just didn’t realize how busy he was, how much he accomplished. Maybe everyone was too busy criticizing Obama and finding fault with everything he did. Maybe the new President learned from all the criticism of President Obama. He saw how the more you do the more people condemn you.
The CNN correspondent thought for a second and reflected, “I think of all the things going on in the world and he has not attempted to solve one, single problem. He’s done nothing about the further withdrawal of our troops from Iraq. The immigration problem still is the same as it was in 2010. Pakistan has grown into a full-fledged enemy of the U.S. Iran now has nuclear weapons, there have been three major oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico just this year. The banks and investment house lobbyists have practically killed any real legislation that would have an effect on the average guy. Now there are more than fifteen million illegal immigrants living in the U.S. More people are now out of work than there were in 2009. What has this president done?”
“Absolutely nothing. I really think he decided not to do anything starting the day he won the election. The new President must have seen the condemnation and caviling of President Obama and he decided that wasn’t going to happen to him. He’s taking the nation in a totally new direction – no direction, no nothing. Nobody can criticize him the way they did Obama.”
“The whole nation has come to a standstill – all because this President isn’t going to make the same mistake as the last one – you know trying to fix the nation’s problems.”
“Things are so quiet, so still, so, you know, passive, that we just heard that Rush Limbaugh is giving up his radio show. He claims there’s nothing to bitch about. He just up and quit. He said he longs for the good old days.”